Tweezers.



E. O. WELLS. TWBEZERS. APPLIOATION FILED APR.16, 1909.

95 49. Patented Mar. 1, 1910.

human especially shaped to be conveniently U ITED sTA'rEs PATENT ounce.

EUGENE C. WELLS,

OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE E. DIETZ AND ONE-HALF TO EDWARD L. WRIGHT, BOTH 0F STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

TWEEZEBS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application filed April 16, 1909. Serial No. 490,238.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE citizen of the United States, residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Tweezers, of which the following is av specification.

lhis invention relates tomanicuring instruments, and has for its object to provide a pair of tweezers of novel construction adapted for .efiicient use as tweezers and adapted for numerous uses.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a tool the body portion of which is as ed C. WELLS, a i

for the removal of a splinter, or or ike operations involving the use of tweezers.

Another object is to provide tweezers, havng point portions having concave edges ad acent to the point adapted to insure engagement with a splinter on a rounded portion of the anatomy.

Another object is to provide tweezers havmgbe s1des sharpened points for engagem'ent wlth small splinters-rounded jaw portions adapted for engagement with large splinters. Another advantage gained in having the rounded engaging portions is the avoidance of liability of breakage of splinters of rotten wood or other similar weak material. p

most important object of the invention 15 to provide a novel design of blank from which the tweezers may be formed to faciliedge 14 meeting that edge tate its manufacture in an economical manner.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, and it will be understood that [changes in the specific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims withput departing from the spirit of the invenion.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals .of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device grasped in a hand, Fig. 2 is a plan yiew of the blank for the tweezers, F g. 3 Is an edge view of the tweeze'rsin constructed form, Fi 4 is a detail of the points showng the met in the finger, Fig. 5 1s a similar view showmg the method of engalging a splinter-of easily pliable material, ig. 6 -is a similar 0d of engaging a small splinter and suitably tern tending slightly View showing the device in use as'a nail trimmer.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a pair of tweezers comprising opposite spring arms 10 connected integrally at their upper ends and extending divergently as shown.

The device is made'of suitable resilient metal preferably sheet steel, and may be formed by the usual method of stamping.

Patented Mar. 1, 1910..

In producing the device, a blank is 'stampedhaving similarly shaped end portions, and having a rectangular opening l0 at its center which thus presents attenuated connecting portions 10. The blank is of the connecting portions JGI'Gd tO hold the arms exiagonally from each other. Each of the arms comprises'an enlarged upper grip portion 11. and atapering lower portion 12 extending in an oblique angle therefrom, as shown. The extreme outer end portions of the arms are again turned slightly at an angle to the portion 12 and taper to a point 15. Th se points are adapted for the removal ofsmall splinters. A slightl enlarged and rounded heel 13 is forme at its inner end, for engagement with pliable splinters, or splinters beneath the ends of the finger nails as shown in Fig. 5. The edges '14 on the sides of the arms are concaveadjacent to the points 15, and the edge 16 is convex to strengthen the outer portion of the arm and converges toward the at the point 15.

bent centrally The enlargement 13 consists of a rounded for usein a manner similar to that for w ich the points 15 are intended. The portion 13 is especially adapted for use with splinters of weakened wood, which might .be hable'to breakage if engaged between the points 15, or on which the points 15 could not obtain a sufficient hold for extraction. portions are less liable to sever or break a splinter than the usual sharply pointed tweezer points.

As shown in Fi 1, the device is adapted tov be grasped in t e hand with the portion 11 extending centrally of the hand to be grasped between the palm. and the .second and third-fingers of the hand while the fore finger and thumb are utilized to manipulate the arms 10. The implement is thus steadied against thefirmestpart of the hand and 1t These broad- I willbe apparent that by forming the device .0f the device serving to prevent undue rein this manner the grasp thereon may be nlilore steady than with tweezers of rectilinear s ape.

Fig. 4 shows a method of using the device where the splinter isvery small and the: eyes of the operator may not be sufiiciently strong to discern the projecting portion of thesplinter clearly. By the use of the concaved edge 14, a larger portion of the tweezers is presented against the finger, assuring the engagement of the splinter.

The points of the device are'unusually well adapted for use in cleaning finger nails, 1 and by the use of the flat edge produced in stamping, the nails may be easily trimmed by scraping their ends as shown in Fig. 6. The concave ed e 14 serves to round the; edges of the nai s and remove their sharp- 3 ness. 7

It will be seen that a pair of tweezers is 5 presented of especially desirable construction, improvements over tweezers of the ordinary type being attained'without additional expense in manufacture. The join ing portions on o posite sides of the openmg 10 aredepen ed upon for the resilience of the device, the cut away central portion sistance to the operation of' the tweezers. To strengthen the junction of the arms without affecting their resiliency, the bight is formed in tubular shape as indicated at 13.

Vvhat is claimed is 1. An article of the class described, comprising a blank of sheet material having a perforated middle portion folded centrally l of the perforation to bring the endportions of the. blankinto registering resilient spaced 1 relation, the outer end portions of said sides I extending at an oblique angle with relation to the inner portion, the extremities bemg curved and pointed, said sides being proof the device being adapted to be held between the palm and middle fingers of the hand of an operator, and the extremities being adapted to be grasped between the thumb and forefinger for extraction- 0 splinters and similar operations.

2. As an article of manufacture, a pair of tweezers comprising resiliently divergent arms stamped from sheet metal said arms comprising broadened handle portions -coengaged at one end and adapted for engagement between the palm and middle fingers of the hand of an operator, and tapered operating portions extending obliquely from the handle portion and adapted to be compressed into contact by the extended thumb and forefinger of an operator while the handle portions are gras ed in the palm, said operating portions aving their extremities pointed and extended at an angle therefrom the reverse of that of the operating portion and handle portion, the edges at one side being curved for engagement with splinters on rounded portions of the anatomy, said operating portions having lateral enlargements spacedrin'wardly of the points for engagement with splinters of friable materi.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

in presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE C. \VELLS.

lVitnesses:

R.- W. Doncn, P. H. FANNING.

5 vided with enlarged lateral extensions ad- 'jacent their extremities, the central portion 

